A Scene Deleted from OotP
by Drummers
Summary: ONE SHOT-- A scene as could have been in OotP between Sirius, Harry and Lupin. OotP spoilers.


A/N: These are two scenes as they might have appeared in OotP, but for some reason or other never did. Spoilers for OotP, for that reason. Imagine the summer holidays, Grimmauld Place, London, at night time. One shot.  
  
It was another night in Grimmauld Place, after dinner. Mrs Weasley was clearing away the plates and Ginny helped her. Harry, Ron and Hermione left, when Harry said, "Let's go upstairs again."  
  
They were halfway through the hall when Sirius caught up with them.  
  
"Harry! Wait!" he said. "I'd like a word."  
  
Harry sighed inwardly, looked at his friends, and muttered, "You go ahead without me."  
  
While Ron and Hermione headed up the stairs, Harry turned to his godfather. "Not too long, okay? Ron and Hermione are waiting for me," he said.  
  
Sirius looked shocked at first, and a little pale, but then his expression changed to one of anger. "That's exactly what I wanted to talk about," he growled, grabbing Harry by the shoulders and shaking him slightly. Composing himself, he let his godson go and sighed deeply.  
  
"Don't you think you can see Hermione and Ron, like, all day, every day, during the whole bloody term?" he asked, a mix of sadness and bitterness in his voice.  
  
"Yeah," said Harry, not rerally wanting to discuss this. "They're my friends, right?"  
  
"God, Harry, why don't you ever come to see me?" Sirius said, nearly pleadingly. "Am I suddenly second-rate company?"  
  
"But you're so moody all the time," Harry said, in an attempt to defend himself, while he knew Sirius was partly right.  
  
"Well, doesn't this sodding house make YOU moody?" Sirius said hotly, raising his voice a little.  
  
Neither of them noticed Lupin coming out of the kitchen and stepping into the shadows behind them.  
  
"Really, Harry,"Sirius went on, "you can't make me believe it doesn't affect you. I should know, I've been forced to live here before!"  
  
Harry sighed, and looked at the ground. He wanted to go upstairs, and he couldn't look Sirius straight in the eye, because he didn't want to admit his godfather had a point. "Well, it does affect me," he said. "But spending time with Ron and Hermione helps."  
  
Sirius made an exclamantion of exhasperation. "It's no use!" he growled, stamping his feet, turning to leave, when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.  
  
Harry and Sirius looked up. Lupin stood behind Sirius, looking rather menacing for his usual self. "Remus?" Sirius said in a small voice.  
  
"Go to the kitchen," Lupin told Sirius, not looking at him, but instead fixing his gaze on Harry. "I'll be right with you. I need to have a word with Harry."  
  
"Okay," Sirius said meekly, and he turned and went to the kitchen.  
  
Lupin watched him leave in silence, his face hidden in the shadows. As soon as the kitchen door had closed behind Sirius's back, Lupin turned to Harry with a snap. His expression was positively livid and he scared Harry a little.  
  
"Okay, Harry," Lupin said in a quiet, low and dangerous voice. "I know you like Ron and Hermione a lot, but this is pathetic."  
  
Harry looked up at Lupin, who was towering above him. "You've – you've overheard our conversation?" he asked, fearing the answer.  
  
"Sirius's plea, more like," Lupin growled, contorting his face. "Listen, Harry, like every human being, Sirius needs company. The only persons, of whom he appreciates this company, are you and me on the moment, just like you prefer Ron and Hermione."  
  
Harry looked at the floor again, his face burning. Lupin took him by the upper arms and shook him, too, like Sirius had done only minutes before, only more violent.  
  
"Harry, I mean it!" he hissed. "You have the time, you could take Ron and Hermione with you, if you must, Sirius wouldn't kick them out." Harry opened his mouth to say something, but Lupin intervened.  
  
"Hear me out!" he snapped. "I don't have enough time to keep Sirius that much company, I'm running here and there and do everything and anything for the Order. But Sirius NEEDS company, Harry! He needs it, or he goes mad, and does things that aren't good for him! Please, Harry, promiss me you'll visit him from now and then in his room!" These last words Lupin stressed urgently, looking Harry straight in the eye, as if begging him to consent.  
  
Harry gulped, moved by the look in Lupin's eyes. "Okay," he said hoarsely. "I will."  
  
Lupin let go of his shoulders, looking relieved. They both turned in surprise when the door of the kitchen opened again, and Sirius came out, moodier than ever.  
  
"What is it?" Lupin asked him.  
  
"Molly," growled Sirius. Harry and Lupin both knew Mrs Weasley and Sirius didn't get on very well, and they realised instantaneously that the two of them had had a row.  
  
Lupin sighed. "She tries to bemother you too much, that's the point," he said with a small smile. "I'll go speak to her about it now, when I'm still here." He shot Harry a meaningfull look and left for the kitchen.  
  
Harry and Sirius were silent for a moment.  
  
"Well," said Sirius stiffly, after a few minutes. "I'd better clean up Buckbeak's and my room." He made to leave, too, but Harry stopped him.  
  
"Let me and the other two help you with that," he said.  
  
Sirius's face lightened up instantly. "Thanks a bunch, Harry," he said, squeezing his godson's shoulder.  
  
They went upstairs, informed Ron and Hermione and cleaned up the room together, chatting happily. It was a merry night.  
  
Harry was slightly unsettled that, when he tried to throw some hippogriff droppings, he found the dustbin filled with empty bottles that had contained rum, sherry and brandy, judging from the labels. He didn't confront Sirius with this, as he didn't want to ruin the evening, and during the next days, he forgot completely.  
  
Harry never knew, but some months later, when he needed his godfather most and was worried sick over him, Sirius was drinking in his room again. When Lupin knocked on the door, looking extremely anxious, he immediately asked what was wrong.  
  
"Voldemort has finally managed to lure Harry to the Department of Mysteries," Lupin said, out of breath from running up all the stairs. Sirius stood up quickly, partly in shock.  
  
"No!" he said, dropping his rum bottle. "What can I do?"  
  
"You'd better stay here," Lupin said, looking worriedly at the empty bottle at their feet. "You've drunk too much."  
  
"No, I haven't," said Sirius, a little too fast. Lupin shrugged.  
  
"Whatever, Padfoot," he said. "I won't stop you, but please, please, don't be reckless!"  
  
"I never am," said Sirius, and dashed past Lupin, out of the room.  
  
"Very well," said Lupin, looking at the door slam shut before his nose. He looked around the room and at Buckbeak for a moment, trying to sort out the strange feeling he had, as if something was wrong.  
  
He shrugged and left to follow Sirius downstairs. 


End file.
